A modified technique for implantation of polypropylene mesh for the repair of external abdominal hernias in horses: a review of 21 cases.

The research study is about a modified surgical technique using polypropylene mesh for repairing external abdominal hernias in horses, a method that has proven successful in most of the 21 cases reviewed over a 3-year period.

Research Context and Method

• The study was conducted over a span of three years, during which 21 horses were treated surgically for large defects in their abdominal wall.
• Each surgical treatment involved bridging the defect with a polypropylene mesh, which was interestingly placed outside the hernial ring.
• It’s noteworthy to point out that this procedure contrasts conventional techniques generally reflected both in human and veterinary literature where the mesh is customarily implanted within the hernial ring.

Outcomes and Evaluation

• In the immediate aftermath of the surgical procedure, euthanization was the fate for one horse on the first postoperative day due to an unfortunate situation of postanaesthetic myelomalacia (a form of spinal cord disease).
• The surgical repair as described by the altered method was deemed successful for 18 out of the 21 horses, providing a positive outcome rate of approximately 86%. This indicates that this revised technique of mesh implantation was in fact largely effective.
• There were, however, cases of recurrence of herniation reported in two horses. In these situations, a second surgical intervention was undertaken where larger mesh was implanted. The follow-up surgeries were considered successful, signifying that adjustments in the technique could provide solutions to such complications.

Implications

• The findings of the study suggest that the decision to implant the polypropylene mesh outside the hernial ring, contrary to the more traditional practice, could potentially offer a viable and effective surgical solution for significant abdominal wall defects in horses.
• This modified technique, even though slightly deviant from the norm, may therefore prove beneficial in enhancing the success rate of surgical interventions for external abdominal hernias, and could have implications for the evolution of veterinary surgery practices.